Students clash over guns rights group
Students for Self-Defense tabling in the quad took an intentionally provocative stance, act surprised when people were provoked
Adria Watson -The State Hornet
Students attempt to have a more peaceful debate about gun rights amid a shouting match outside the Library Quad Thursday. The booth from Students For Self-Defense attracted a crowd after a shouting match erupted between two veterans.
October 11, 2018
A shouting match erupted between a crowd of students over a Students for Self-Defense booth on the walkway leading out of the Library Quad Thursday.
A crowd gathered around 2 p.m. after an exchange between Philip Olding, a mechanical engineering major and U.S. Army veteran who was tabling for Students for Self-Defense, and Ray Puppolo, a visitor to campus, became heated.
Puppolo, a retired U.S. Army veteran and educator, was on campus visiting his son when the confrontation started. Puppolo said he has always felt very strongly about guns.
“I served my country, two years in Vietnam,” Puppolo said. “I promised myself that when I got out that I would not have a rifle, and that my kids would never have a rifle.”
According to Puppolo, he asked if Olding had seen combat and if he had to kill anyone during his service. That is when Olding started yelling.
Olding said that he felt justified in his response.
“He asked me, ‘How many people did you kill when you were in the military?’ ” Olding said. “Yeah, I freaked out on him and I cussed at him, and I will do that every time.”
Olding said other students started yelling at him after Puppolo left.
“I had someone come up to me and say I’m a Nazi, I’m a racist, and I’m KKK because I was Army,” Olding said. “I will not stand by as people ask me how many people I’ve killed in the military.”
Puppolo said that he disagreed that Olding’s response was justified.
“If you want to present your side of the coin, just present your side, don’t yell,” Puppolo said.
The yelling match escalated as a crowd formed, then an unidentified student helped to remove Puppolo from the crowd.
“She told me, ‘Let us handle this, let the students deal with this,’ ” Puppolo said.
One of the bystanders Karenna Pullen, a Sac State student in communication studies, deaf studies and theater, said that the people at the table were being antagonistic before Puppolo got involved.
“They were just screaming at people, as they walked by, ‘Oh you man enough to talk?’ ” Pullen said.
As Puppolo was being interviewed, Brice Adams, the vice president of the College Republicans, shouted, “Don’t talk with that guy [Puppolo], he’s full of shit.”
Adams said the booth had intentionally provocative slogans such as “Are you triggered by guns?” on one side to catch attention.
“A lot of people on the political right side of the spectrum like to use their sense of humor for example to catch people’s attention, and some people like to take politics seriously,” Adams said. “Yes, it is a serious matter, but it should be taken in a way where emotion should be more retracted from it, and people should think more logically.”
Adams said he did not believe that Students for Self-Defense being provocative impaired people’s ability to react logically.
“There are other people who are genuinely attracted by it,” Adams said. “There’s a good amount of conservative students on campus who keep their head down.”
The crowds dispersed around 3 p.m. when the foot traffic between classes moved through the walkway.
Lily Forbes • Nov 25, 2018 at 10:34 pm
So hey, I was there as a tablet helping my friends out nearly the entire time this ordeal happened and I have to say this article is being dishonest.
We did not yell at anyone aggressively at any point to come over to the booth. The only point there was a yelling match was between the two veterans and another two or three students, who on their own by the way, engaged with Philip sometime after the gentleman left. The group of students did not once go up to other students and aggressively challenge them into a debate. The only thing we did was call out to people in a calm and cheerful manner encouraging members of our student body to come talk to us about the group.
I was spoken too directly about this incident by members of the student hornet and gave a clear explanation as to what happened, and I’m actually very upset that it seems every part of that was completely omitted from this article.
Then there is the false accusation against our Vice President of the College Republicans, I know Brice fairly well and I am very certain those are not words he would use. I do not know who stated those were his words, but as someone who was there during the confrontation I know very well he said nothing of the sort.
Consider the people you hurt and the reputations you smear before throwing false allegations and consider both sides of the story. Those accusations should have been followed up on before you decided to plaster them up for all students to see.
Hayley Swanger • Oct 13, 2018 at 6:39 am
There’s always two sides to every story, so people need to keep that in mind when reading this article. However, there are civil ways to discuss an argument or clashing opinions to allow both sides to be heard. But it sounds like unfortunately that wasn’t displayed by the students tabling for self defense. Both parties should have knowledge on the topic and be able to keep their cool, in order to have a better political debate.
Brian Takahashi • Oct 12, 2018 at 11:28 am
The only person who was “triggered” was the right-winger who flipped out over someone having the audacity to ask him about his military history, but don’t let facts get in the way of your partisanship.
Brice Adams • Oct 12, 2018 at 1:33 am
I think I deserve an apology from the state hornet. They intentionally lied about me telling the older fellow who wasnt a student that i said he was “full of shit.” I did not say that and would never publicly say that to someone, even if I was incredibly offended by them. I have witnesses who were there who say otherwise, but if you want to be dishonest and soil a student’s reputation, go ahead.
Brandon Toney-James • Oct 12, 2018 at 12:00 am
Liberals are triggered about everything.